"Instead, they just lobbed a few easy-to-deflect questions at Alito and moved on. If Alito is confirmed to the Supreme Court (joining Roberts, also a supporter of expanded 'unitary' executive power during 'wartime'), the likelihood of more police-state tactics and shredding of more Constitutional protections and more spying on ordinary citizens will move us further along toward an authoritarian, one-party state. Although the Dems' questions seemed to recognize this, their disorganized, noncholant approach suggested that they don't really care to try to stop this movement toward an American type of fascism."
"You, a traditional Republican conservative, think America is heading into fascism?" I asked, somewhat shocked.
MANY IN G.O.P. FEAR BIG-BROTHER GOVT.
"It's not just me. There are so many distressed traditional Republican conservatives out there, always opposed to Big-Brother government, who think likewise. Even Barron's, that establishment business magazine, is of a similar mind, along with lots of military and intelligence types still inside the administration, but scared to death of saying anything. I'm nervous just being here with you, Bernie. God help me if anybody sees me."
"I think this place is far enough from the D.C. beltway, and you're wearing a wig and dark glasses," I replied. "But what I'm interested in finding out is: Do you think it's too late, is it all a lost cause?"
"Almost, but maybe there still are ways to stop this reckless bunch of ideologues. First of all, the Democrats have to stay united, push off the vote a week or so, and filibuster the hell out of the Alito nomination. And they have to work on prying a few of the Republican moderates to pledge to support the filibuster, based on the clear indication by Alito that he's willing to re-open the Roe decision, and that he'd judicially support Bush's assumption of sweeping powers over citizens' privacy.
"The hearings may have been a predictable dance, but they did get Alito to reveal several things: First, that he's willing to lie to get what he wants. He lied to somebody about being a member of the bigoted Concerned Alumni of Princeton; either he lied to Reagan officials to get a job when he asserted that he had been a member, or he lied to the Senators to get a job when he claimed he couldn't remember if he was a member. (Akin to: I wracked my brain and I just can't remember if I was a member of the Klan. Yeah, sure.)
ROE A GONER, BUSH POWER-GRAB OKd
"Second, Alito believes many other key issues are 'settled law' precedents, but on executive power and abortion, clearly he's ready to vote to tear away at Roe and to support Bush in his assumption of more and more power, with little oversight. Some of the moderate GOP senators are greatly concerned about the Legislative Branch being stripped of its power, throwing the checks-and-balances system totally out of whack, so they might be peeled away here. Folks like Collins and Snowe and Chafee and maybe even Warner and McCain (who is pissed at the way Bush humiliated him on his torture amendment, saying he wouldn't necessarily honor it).
"Third, key Democratic Senators and House members should be willing to risk arrest for civil disobedience by joining a sit-in outside the White House gates, along with tens of thousands of ordinary citizens, protesting Bush's breaking of laws passed by Congress and claiming he can and will do it again and again, whenever he wants.
"We need men and women of courage to drive this issue into the mainstream media's front page and TV screens, day after day; imagine the impact if, say, Senators Boxer, Byrd and Leahy were to put their bodies where their mouths are on the war in Iraq and on Bush's in-your-face executive power-grabbing. If the Dems are serious about confronting Bush where he's weakest, on breaking laws with impunity, then they've got to up the ante and take some calculated risks. Doing so automatically will move the impeachment ball forward.
"Fourth, it's not too late for the Dem senators to start holding hearings on their own -- or talking about Alito and over-reaching executive power during a filibuster on his nomination -- even if the GOP won't initiate official probes on Bush's having violated the law. (By the way, it was easy for Alito to say that even a President has to remain within the law, because, if he gets onto the Supreme Court, he'll help redefine 'the law' so that Bush always will be seen to be 'inside' it.) Witnesses could be called at such hearings, from inside and outside the government, to explain how Bush is a serial lawbreaker and needs to be reined in, either electorally at the mid-term balloting later this year or through the impeachment process.
"Finally, don't forget that Special Counsel Patrick Fitzgerald may drop a Rove-indictment bomb any day now on the White House. Bush and Cheney might be forced to testify in such a case -- or Bush might feel constrained to issue a pardon in advance of Rove going to court, which obvious coverup ploy would add another charge to the impeachment list."
DEMS MUST STEP OUT COURAGEOUSLY
I had to ask the next question: "Do you really believe the Democrats have enough sense, and courage, to do at least some of what you're suggesting?"
"No," ST said, "but they're slowly coming to realize that unless they do something dramatic to save the republic from the worst of Bush&Co.'s recklessness and power-amassment, their own days and their authority to get things done are numbered, and with more wars of choice in the offing. The Dems can see that they might never get back in power again unless Bush&Co. are brought down politically, through impeachment.
"You, a traditional Republican conservative, think America is heading into fascism?" I asked, somewhat shocked.
MANY IN G.O.P. FEAR BIG-BROTHER GOVT.
"It's not just me. There are so many distressed traditional Republican conservatives out there, always opposed to Big-Brother government, who think likewise. Even Barron's, that establishment business magazine, is of a similar mind, along with lots of military and intelligence types still inside the administration, but scared to death of saying anything. I'm nervous just being here with you, Bernie. God help me if anybody sees me."
"Almost, but maybe there still are ways to stop this reckless bunch of ideologues. First of all, the Democrats have to stay united, push off the vote a week or so, and filibuster the hell out of the Alito nomination. And they have to work on prying a few of the Republican moderates to pledge to support the filibuster, based on the clear indication by Alito that he's willing to re-open the Roe decision, and that he'd judicially support Bush's assumption of sweeping powers over citizens' privacy.
"The hearings may have been a predictable dance, but they did get Alito to reveal several things: First, that he's willing to lie to get what he wants. He lied to somebody about being a member of the bigoted Concerned Alumni of Princeton; either he lied to Reagan officials to get a job when he asserted that he had been a member, or he lied to the Senators to get a job when he claimed he couldn't remember if he was a member. (Akin to: I wracked my brain and I just can't remember if I was a member of the Klan. Yeah, sure.)
ROE A GONER, BUSH POWER-GRAB OKd
"Second, Alito believes many other key issues are 'settled law' precedents, but on executive power and abortion, clearly he's ready to vote to tear away at Roe and to support Bush in his assumption of more and more power, with little oversight. Some of the moderate GOP senators are greatly concerned about the Legislative Branch being stripped of its power, throwing the checks-and-balances system totally out of whack, so they might be peeled away here. Folks like Collins and Snowe and Chafee and maybe even Warner and McCain (who is pissed at the way Bush humiliated him on his torture amendment, saying he wouldn't necessarily honor it).
"Third, key Democratic Senators and House members should be willing to risk arrest for civil disobedience by joining a sit-in outside the White House gates, along with tens of thousands of ordinary citizens, protesting Bush's breaking of laws passed by Congress and claiming he can and will do it again and again, whenever he wants.
"We need men and women of courage to drive this issue into the mainstream media's front page and TV screens, day after day; imagine the impact if, say, Senators Boxer, Byrd and Leahy were to put their bodies where their mouths are on the war in Iraq and on Bush's in-your-face executive power-grabbing. If the Dems are serious about confronting Bush where he's weakest, on breaking laws with impunity, then they've got to up the ante and take some calculated risks. Doing so automatically will move the impeachment ball forward.
"Fourth, it's not too late for the Dem senators to start holding hearings on their own -- or talking about Alito and over-reaching executive power during a filibuster on his nomination -- even if the GOP won't initiate official probes on Bush's having violated the law. (By the way, it was easy for Alito to say that even a President has to remain within the law, because, if he gets onto the Supreme Court, he'll help redefine 'the law' so that Bush always will be seen to be 'inside' it.) Witnesses could be called at such hearings, from inside and outside the government, to explain how Bush is a serial lawbreaker and needs to be reined in, either electorally at the mid-term balloting later this year or through the impeachment process.
"Finally, don't forget that Special Counsel Patrick Fitzgerald may drop a Rove-indictment bomb any day now on the White House. Bush and Cheney might be forced to testify in such a case -- or Bush might feel constrained to issue a pardon in advance of Rove going to court, which obvious coverup ploy would add another charge to the impeachment list."
DEMS MUST STEP OUT COURAGEOUSLY
I had to ask the next question: "Do you really believe the Democrats have enough sense, and courage, to do at least some of what you're suggesting?"
"No," ST said, "but they're slowly coming to realize that unless they do something dramatic to save the republic from the worst of Bush&Co.'s recklessness and power-amassment, their own days and their authority to get things done are numbered, and with more wars of choice in the offing. The Dems can see that they might never get back in power again unless Bush&Co. are brought down politically, through impeachment.
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